South Sudan reportedly told Kenya to delay peace talks with Malong, Pagan

JUBA/NAIROBI – South Sudan government has reportedly asked neighboring Kenya to delay any decision regarding the approval for use of Kenya as venue of peace negotiations between the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit and holdout opposition alliance faction, South Sudan Opposition Alliance Movements (SSOMA) led by Pagan Amum and Paul Malong Awan.

In December, a senior opposition official for the Malong-Pagan-led  SSOMA told Sudans Post that peace talks would commence in the first week of January, but last week, Kenyan authorities declined to response to a request from Sant’ Egidio community to approve Kenya as base for peace talks.

Speaking to Sudans Post this evening, a senior member of SSOMA said they have gathered some information that suggest President Salva Kiir had sent an envoy to Kenya last week to ask Kenya to delay the approval for the peace talks to take place in Kenya.

“We have credible information that the ongoing delay by the Kenyan authorities to approve venue for us to conduct teh talks with teh government here is from the government of South Sudan. Last week there was a group of delegation and they met with the Kenyan authorities and they asked teh government to delay the process,” the official told Sudans Post on condition of anonymity.

“I am not sure or we are not sure why the government is doing this, but this might be because the government is exploring other avenues to derail the peace process so that the people of South Sudan return to full blown war,” he added.